Author: FFP Ai Bot

Illustration: The Fostoria Free Press.

FOSTORIA- Potholes show up every year in Northwest Ohio as freezing and thawing breaks down pavement. If one is jarring your tires on a Fostoria street, the quickest way to get it on a repair list is to report it to the office that actually maintains that road. This guide explains who handles what and how to file a useful report.

City streets: the Fostoria Street Department

For streets inside city limits, start with the City of Fostoria Street Department. According to the city’s Street Department page, the department’s work includes street paving, patching and asphalt repairs, along with striping, signs, snow and ice removal, fall leaf collection and pickup of limbs and debris in the public right-of-way.

• Location: 1235 Perrysburg Road, Fostoria
• Phone: 419-435-4115
• Hours listed by the city: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed weekends

You can also report a pothole online through the city’s Report a Concern form. The form asks for your name, address, phone number and email, and lets you mark your submission as a general inquiry, a request for service or a complaint. A pothole is a request for service. If you prefer to call City Hall, the main number listed on the city website is 419-435-8282.

How to write a report that gets results

Crews have to find the hole before they can fill it. A few details make that much easier:

• Exact location. Give the street name and the nearest house number or cross street. “In front of” a specific address is better than “somewhere on” a long street.
• Where in the road. Note the lane, direction of travel, or whether it sits near the curb, a manhole or a crosswalk.
• Size and risk. Describe roughly how wide and deep it is, and whether it is in a spot where drivers swerve or where bicyclists ride.
• A photo. If it is safe, snap a picture from the sidewalk. Never stand in traffic to take one.
• Your contact information. That allows the department to follow up if it cannot find the spot.

Keep your own note of the date you reported it. If the pothole is still there after a reasonable time, a polite follow-up call to the Street Department with that date is the next step.

State routes: the Ohio Department of Transportation

Not every road in and around Fostoria belongs to the city. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) says it is responsible for the “State System” of roads, which includes interstates, plus U.S. and state routes outside of municipalities. ODOT’s Damage Incident Report page lets drivers send information about damage from a pothole or road debris on a state system roadway, and ODOT says that information is forwarded to a local ODOT office. ODOT also notes that claims may be filed with the Ohio Court of Claims.

If you are unsure whether a stretch of a numbered route inside the city is maintained by the city or by the state, call the city Street Department first and ask.

County and township roads

Outside city limits in Seneca County, county highways are handled by the Seneca County Engineer’s Office. The office says its network includes more than 390 miles of county highways, 403 county-maintained bridges and more than 1,400 culverts. The engineer’s office is at 3300 S. Township Road 151 in Tiffin, phone 419-447-1011, and the county garage on South State Route 100 can be reached at 419-447-3863, according to the office’s contact page.

Township roads are generally the responsibility of the township trustees. If a rural road near Fostoria crosses into Hancock or Wood County, those counties have their own engineer’s offices. When in doubt, the county engineer’s office can usually tell you who owns a road.

If a pothole damaged your car

• Take photos of the pothole and the damage, and write down the exact location, date and time.
• Keep repair estimates and receipts.
• For a state system road, use ODOT’s damage report page linked above.
• For a city, county or township road, ODOT advises contacting the agency with jurisdiction first. Ask that office how it handles damage claims.

Quick reference

• City streets: Fostoria Street Department, 419-435-4115, or the city’s online Report a Concern form
• Interstates, and U.S. and state routes outside municipalities: ODOT damage incident report
• Seneca County highways: Seneca County Engineer, 419-447-1011
• Township roads: your township trustees

Emergencies are different. If a road collapse, sinkhole or debris creates an immediate danger to drivers, call 911.

Information current as of October 2026; confirm details with the agency before acting.

Sources

City of Fostoria, Street Department page (fostoriaohio.gov/1206/Street)
City of Fostoria, Report a Concern online form
Ohio Department of Transportation, Damage Incident Report and Court of Claims Information page (dot.state.oh.us)
Seneca County Engineer’s Office, home and contact pages (sencoeng.com)